If this is the first edition of the MarineParents.com Newsletter you have received, WELCOME! If you are a returning reader we are glad you have joined us.

In this newsletter, you will read about some exciting Care Package Project™ news and learn how you can help us! We are desperately in need of more care package content and funds to cover shipping costs.

You'll also find information about purchasing tickets for the Marine Parents Outreach Dinner on January 22! Former Marine and Operation Mend pioneer participant Aaron Mankin will be our guest speaker. Don't miss this inspirational story about Aaron's long road to recovery after surviving an IED explosion while deployed in Iraq.

We hope you all had an enjoyable holiday and we wish you a Happy New Year! Don't forget to visit our Facebook page here for daily news and updates!

Thank you for all the ways in which you contribute to Marine Parents and its outreach programs. You are a crucial component of our success!

Winter '11 Care Package Campaign

Help Us With Our TWO Pack Days in January!

Marine Parents and The Care Package Project™ have some exciting news...We will be holding a remote care package pack day inBeaufort, South Carolina, on January 13th!

We will still hold the regularly scheduled pack day on January 22, but we wanted to give Marine Corps families and supporters who don't live near our Missouri-based office the opportunity to participate in this incredible outreach program.

If you are in the South Carolina area, we would love for you to come out and volunteer with us! Click here to sign up and a Marine Parents representative will contact you within 24 hours with specific information.

Since we have two packing events to prepare for next month, we need all the help we can get from our supporters! Please consider donating either content to include in the care packages or funds to help cover overseas shipping costs. We appreciate any help you can provide!

If you would like to volunteer at our care package pack day in Columbia, Missouri, click here.

If you would like to volunteer at our special packing event in Beaufort, South Carolina, click here.

January 22nd Outreach Dinner

Tickets Available From The EGA Store

Cpl. Aaron Mankin

On the evening of our January 22nd pack day, after all boxes are filled and ready to be shipped overseas, join us for a casual night of food, drinks and cameraderie.

Marine Parents is hosting an outreach dinner at the Courtyard Marriott right down the street, where Marine families, friends and supporters will have the opportunity to hear Marine Cpl. Aaron Mankin tell his inspiring story story about recovering from an IED explosion in Iraq. Tickets are $40 each.

We would like Gold Star families to attend this dinner as our special guests. All Gold Star families are welcome but there will be a special presentation of framed ballots from the first Iraqi election to Gold Star families of OIF fallen. Marine Parents will cover the cost of hotel accommodations for the night and dinner for two family members. Please contact Marine Parents Community Relations at (573) 449-2003 if you are a Gold Star family member wishing to attend.

Dr. Cantrell has written several books on combat recovery, and she will be discussing post-traumatic stress disorder and warrior transitioning. Military members and families interested in knowing more about issues related to combat recovery are encouraged to participate in the chat.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Cantrell's chat nights. Click here access the chat room.You must scroll to the bottom of the page to enter.

Wounded Warriors Birthday Ball

Check out photos from the night!

On November 19th the Wounded Warriors Barracks in San Diego attended a Marine Corps Birthday Ball, which many of you supported through your generous donations. We thought you'd enjoy seeing photos of this special event.

Unfortunately we can't post photos of the Wounded Warriors, but Purple Heart Hero Support™ Manager Joyce was still able to capture how much fun the ball was. Here is a recap about the night from Joyce, and you can click here for a slideshow of photos!

"I would like to thank all of you for your generous donations that helped make the Ball a huge success! The Wounded Warrior Battalion West Marine Corps Ball was held at the Westin Hotel with approximately 800 people in attendance. Wounded Warriors came in from Camp Pendleton, Palo Alto, 29 Palms, Yuma Az, and Balboa Hospital. All of them in their dress blues, it took my breath away! It was truly an evening spent walking amongst the Heroes, I was so humbled being around so many of these men that I have grown to know and love. SgtMjr Kufchak of the 7th Marines was our speaker for the evening, he's a Bronze Star and Purple Heart Recipient and has the respect of all the Marines, you could have heard a pin drop as he gave his speech."

We love seeing Marine friends and familiy supporting the Marines by wearing an item they purchased from the Marine Parents EGA Store, and we are beginning a supporter spotlight in each newsletter.

This issue, we are featuring Marine Mom Cathy wearing the Silent Night shirt that was designed exclusively for Marine Parents.

Cathy says:

"I love my shirt, I have on the back "My 3 Marines, James, Kirk & Joe, OOHRAH". I was at a Care Packaging event last saturday where we packed 712 boxes, in Santa Clara, CA and got lots of comments about the shirt, especially from other Marine parents. I did share where I got it and one Mom actually said she has it in her shopping cart.

I'm the 3rd V.P of the South Bay Blue Star Moms and we were packing our Holiday Care Packages. We had over 125 volunteers, so lots of people got to see my shirt. Thanks for all the great items in the EGA store.

Cathy"

Thanks for your support Cathy! If YOU'd like to share a picture of you or your family wearing EGA Store gear, send the photo and a short description to Store@MarineParents.com. We'll feature you in the newsletter and in the EGA Store photo gallery!

100% of profits from EGA Store sales are used to support the outreach programs of Marine Parents. Click here to shop our Marine Corps gear!

We hope this week's edition of our email newsletter has been useful for you and your family. If there are topics you would like us to address, or if you have other suggestions for the newsletter, please contact us.

The banner used at the top of this newsletter is an December 2010 USMC Photo by Lance Cpl. Reece E. Lodder of Marine firefighters from Aircraft Rescue Firefighting, Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, will hike the Honolulu Marathon Dec. 12 to raise money for Wounded Marines and sailors at Wounded Warrior Battalion West, Detachment Hawaii.Click here to read additional credits.

MarineParents.com, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity. MarineParents.com, Inc. was founded in January, 2003 in response to parents' needs to find information and to have a Place to Connect & Share™ with one another during deployments. Our free online services and connections have expanded to support and educate Marine moms & dads, spouses, families and friends. We've helped over 130,000 Marine and recruit families during bootcamp, training, active duty and deployments. We've shipped thousands of care packages overseas to our Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan, sent thousands of prayers and letters to injured Marines and served hundreds of meals to Wounded Warriors and their families on both the East and West coasts. You've found a Place to Connect & Share™.

God Bless and Semper Fidelis,

Tracy Della Vecchia

Founder and Executive DirectorMarineParents.com, Inc.

Neither the United States Marine Corps nor any other component of the Department of Defense has approved, endorsed, or authorized this service.